Controlling device



INVENTOR --Wea'kerh gaa. un

ATTQRNETS l Mjarch 18, 1930.

' A. J. WEATHERHEAD, JR

' GONTROLLING DEVICE Filed May 25, 1929 Patented Mar. 18 1930 TES' UNITED STA PATENT OFFICE CONTROLLING DEVICE Application :tiled May 25, 1929. Serial No. 365,964.

provide a simple attachment for the instrument board of an automobile whereby a rciprocable controlling element may be frictionally held against longitudinal movement when not manipulated by the operator. More specifically, my object is to provide an effective clutch assembly of inexpensive and durable construction for a manually operable rod or shaft such as commonly employed in automobiles to control the choke valve in a carburetor, referencebeinff had to the accompanymg drawings, 1n which Fig. l 1s a sec- -tional,view longitudinally of a controlling device embodying m invention; Fig. 2 a cross sectional view t ereofon line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a cross sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a sectional view longitudinally of the clutch collet; and Fig. 5 a similar view showinr the collet expanded upon Aa. rod or shaft. Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional and detail views, respectively, of a modified form of clutchcollet.

The invention comprises a tubular fitting or attachment' member A having an enlarged head 2 adapted to abut against the outer face of a panel or .plate 3 having an opening through .which the screw-threaded shank 4 of the fitting extends to permit a lock Washer v5 and nut 6 to be secured thereto in clamping engagement with the panel or plate 3.

The inner end of shank tis counterbored and contracted to smaller dimensions upon the ribbed or enlarged extremity 7 of a tube 8 which provides a fixed extension for the shank. A flexible conduit 9 made of spirally wound wire is firmly aflixed to the end tube 8, and the operating wire l0 passes through the conduit to the carburetor valve or other part to be operated and controlled.

The wire is attached in any suitable Way to the end of a controlling rod or shaftB' movable lengthwise Within the fitting but not rotatable therein, to prevent rotation of the rod, the head portion 2 of member A is broached to ro'vide a partly round and partl straight sided opening 11, see Fig. 3, and

e round control rod or shaft B is flattened lengthwise to lit said opening, thereby permitting the rod to slide but not to turn in respect tomember A.

However, the slidable movement ofcontrol rod B is frictionally governed to permit the choke valve or other par-t under control to be held stationary or in any fixed position that the operator may elect.V Thisy result is obtained in a simple mode and manner by sleeving a spring collet C up'oii'rod B and confining it Within tubular .fitting A, so that it may expand and contract freely ,but not shift lengthwise in any appreciable degree in respect to thefitting. v

It is desirable that rod B be gripped fairly tightly by the collet and still permit the operfy ator to reciprocate the same easily by meam` of the knob or handle 12, and inasmuch as such controllingdevices are manipulated quite often it is also desirable that such frictional gripping results should remain constant and equally effective after frequent or long usage. To gain that end the collet C shown-in Figs. l to 5, inclusive, comprises a short sleeve or handmade of spring metal slitted or slotted lengthwise from-each end edge. The slits or slots 14. in the sleeve or collet therefore extend in opposite directions, and preferably overlap or extend beyond the inner ends of eachother so vthat the respect1ve divisions'or sections of the sleeve or. 'collet areof substantial length to provide a substantial degree of spring movement in each division or sectionl at each end of the collet.

The clutching action of the collet on the rod-is thereby greatly promoted and, clutching occurs at both ends of the collet, and the collet can also be expanded throughout its entire length over a rod of substantially larger diameter lthan the normal interna-l diameter of the sleeve or collet, although not l lll ting, a reciprocable rod extending through wear` occurs and is taken up by the collet,

thereby providing a collet of exceptional'durability and long life without 'the addition of bushings or other wear or friction aiding auxiliaries. ,f

In Figs. 6 and 7, I show a modified form 10 of collet C comprising a ilat band of spring metal wound spirally to a smaller diameter internallyvthaii rod B. The iat convolutions are relatively Wide and therefore this form of collet has a relativelyilarge frictional gripping face engaging the rod and may be made togwork quite satisfactorily with a rod of such small diameter as described herein. This foim of collet also completely encircles the rod and the greatest tension therein is localized intermediate the ends thereof where the spiral band is widestV and the resistance to expansion thereof greatest, although the vopposite ends of the bandsoperate also with good clutching effect on the rod. J That is, the opposite ends of this collet clutch the rod independently in somewhat the same way as the slotted collet shown in Fig. 1. Both collets also encircle the rod circuitously orrsinuously. Thus, the double'-` ended slots in the collet shown in Fig'. lsub-l divide thestock so that the clamping portions thereof extend circuitouslyaround the collet, and the collet shown in Fig. 7 is divided spirally to provide circuitous or sinuous clamping portions. What I claim, is:

1. A controlling device, substantially as herein described, lcomprising'a tubular iit- -I40 tinghaving a reciprocable control rod extending therethrough, and a flat sprin collet housed within said fitting. and comp etely l encircling and gripping said rod equally `at different radial, places therein.

2. A controlling device, substantially as herein described, comprising a tubular `fitsaid fitting, and a spring collet housed in an expanded condition upon said rod, within said fitting, said collet being subivided to provide independent gripping portions at opposite ends thereof. J'

3. A controlling device, substantiallyl is herein described, comprising ya tubular ii ting, a slidable rdextending throu h said" fitting, and a spring collet having in e ndently acting clutching portions at eac end thereof sleeved upon said rodwithin saidl fitting. a

Y4. A controlling device, substantially as herein-described, comprising a tubular heus-- ing, a reciprocable rod extending throug'h said housing, and a spring collet expanded over said rod and restrained from lon 'tudie5 nal movement within said housing, said col- 'aspring collet sleeved upon "each other to 1,75oge97 let having lcircuitous clamping portions extending from end to end andd complete around the same.

5. A controlling device, substantially as herein described, comprising a tubular fittin a control rod free to reciprocate within sai fitting, and a spring collet sleeved on said rod-and confined against longitudinal movement within said fittin saidcollet having'a series of. longitudina slots therein to y'provide spring clamping sections for said rod.

6. A controlling device, substantially as herein described, comprisin a tting having a reciprocable control rod t erein, including a spring collet sleeved on said rod and slotted longitudinally at a plurality of places at both ends thereof.l

7 A @controlling device, substantially as herein described, comprising a fitting having a reciprocable control rod therein,-includ ing zaspring collet frictionally engaging said rod having slots extending in opposite directions from the ends .thereof and beyond each other.

8. A controlling device, substantially as herein described, comprising a. tubular fitting, a reciprocable rod extending through said fitting, and a spring collet frictionally engaging said rod andv slotted lengthwise in staggered relation from opposite ends thereof to provide an endless circuitous clamping band.

9. A controlling device, substantially. as herein described, comprising a tubular ttingl having a chamber and a broached flat sided opening therein, a flat sided control rod ex tending through said opening in said fitting, and a spring collet frictionally sleeved upon said rod and slotted froml both ends to provide a circuitous clamping band.

10. A controlling device, .substantially as Iherein described, comprising an attachment` fitting having a tubular extension, a conduit affixed to `said extension a reciprocable rod extending through said tting having a control wire passing through said conduit, and said rod and confinedv against longitudinal movement within said fitting-having longitudinalslots extending fromthe ends thereof and past l provide a circuitous clamping band for said rod.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

.ALBERT J. WEATHERHEAD, JR. 

